Holder of Non-Immigrant B visa with valid work permit - required to have 20,000 baht "show money"

[MiKT]

Most private hospitals in Thailand will accept credit cards, but overseas credit cards have a way of getting blocked, lost or otherwise made worthless and it's a devil of a time getting them reactivated or replaced. Private hospitals will turn away people who don't appear to have the ability to pay for care.

Many public hospitals don't accept credit cards, but will accept ATM cards from Thai banks. Public hospitals are good about treating everyone in an emergency situation, but won't let them leave until they can pay their bill in full. If they're ready for discharge, they'll just push their bed off in a corner, hand them a phone and tell them to call somebody to bring money; they can't leave until they pay the bill. (In truth, "arrangements" can be made to pay the bill over time on contract, but this takes negotiation with the social work department about one's financial situation)

Just recently, a friend had a motorcycle accident in Nakorn Nowhereburi. A couple days in the local amphur hospital and a bill of 5000 baht. No big deal, he gave them his overseas credit card. Nope, they couldn't accept it. In the end, he had to call someone to put money into his girlfriend's Bangkok Bank account and then the girlfriend drove to NN to bail him out of the hospital with her Bangkok Bank ATM card. G/F was not happy about the unplanned trip.

You really do need to have at least two different ways of making large payments available to you at all times in case of medical emergencies. I've just been involved in too many situations where people are in hospital and have money overseas, but aren't able to access it in a time of crisis.

As you said, hospitals here generally treat you first and THEN ask for payment when you are ready to be discharged. Therefore it's ridiculous to suggest one should carry 10000-20000 Baht or more for such "emergencies" like you're expecting them to happen. That's what you should have insurance for. Travel insurance is good enough for most people who don't spend more than a year or so away from home and are still technically classified as residents in their home country. Otherwise there's expat insurance or other cover provided by employers but they tend to be less generous unless you're on a very high end package. In any case, anyone who doesn't have some kind of medical insurance when overseas is an idiot.

All this nonsense about how credit cards might fail is NOT a good excuse to always have a huge sum of money in your pocket. Besides, how do most of us access any money in the first place? Well by withdrawing from credit and debit accounts!

Imagine this: you find yourself coming off a motorcycle and are badly injured. But in the process someone robs you off all the money in your wallet but then you end up in the hospital, which treats you. At the time of being discharged you are able to pay your bill through your insurance or you pay first with your credit card and then claim later (if the amount is not too high). But you never get your money back. If you weren't carrying all that money you wouldn't have lost it in the first place.

Anyway, most of us have medical insurance policies and a sufficient number of ATM and credit cards. But to suggest something as unlikely and ridiculous as needing to carry around thousands of Baht in case someone decides to drive into us and we have to go to hospital as a good reason to carry a lot of cash and possibly set ourselves up for robbery is irresponsible.

This thread was supposed to be about immigration requirements NOT about justifying carrying around large wads of cash.

Besides, all you wise guys, what if someone followed your advice but only had 20000 Baht on them when their hospital bill ended up being 100000 Baht? So how about we all carry around 100000 Baht just in case we have a nearly fatal accident so we can end up paying in cash.

What's all this nonsense about Thai hospitals treating you and then asking to be paid. NOT TRUE except for very minor incidences or if you are a regular patient (and then not for large amounts).

For operations they always require evidence of insurance, or a large cash deposit (20K won't hack it) and many of the overseas travel/medical insurances are not accepted in Thailand or the insurance does not actually cover what you think it does, or the insurance company does not have a Thai speaking local representative and won't pay the hospital directly - you have to pay and claim back what you can.

Even good medical insurance companies quible about the costs of so called "specialists" like anasthetisists! They often have fixed rates for medical services that inevitably differ from the hospital rates.

But having said all that, carrying 20K Baht around for no good reason is totally up to you; its a free world in that respect. Of course, it won't actually buy you much medical treatment and it's also a free world for those who just love farangs who flash cash.

Basically, in Thailand/Malaysia all you need is enough cash to pay for bus/train/taxi/parking/coffee plus any emergency beer costs and an ATM card. If you don't have some kind of ATM card, life in Thailand will be rather fraught, never mind at immigration. Be prepared to spend a lot of time queueing in banks.

I have never experienced it, but I expect that paying 200 is worth it not to spend even one minute more in an immigration queue. Think of it as a tip for the hardworking staff. In Cambodia they will even ask you to help them out as they are so badly paid and 200 is gratefully received.

[paz]

I have never experienced it, but I expect that paying 200 is worth it not to spend even one minute more in an immigration queue. Think of it as a tip for the hardworking staff. In Cambodia they will even ask you to help them out as they are so badly paid and 200 is gratefully received.

A 'tip' ? You are not doing the math. When they scam or bribe, say 100 ppl out of $6 each that is $600 a day (or shift) to be split perhaps between 3 or 4 guys. Think before you give.

Edited April 7, 2015 by paz

[BudRight]

All of you who support this practice are just as bad as the corrupt officials.

[ikbenhet]

The best option other than flying out and back is to avoid the Sadao Dannok crossing. Pedang Baser or any other crossing is much better.

I would also imagine anyone who has spent at least a couple of days (or more) in Malaysia and is not just doing a border run would also be less likely to be hassled even if coming back from Dan Nok.

If I were to go all the way down to Malaysia just to renew my visa (or permission to stay), the least I would do is to drive my car across the border and spend a few days checking out Malaysia, Penang perhaps or KL. There shouldn't be any excuse to not do so and seeing something different once in a while, even if I've been there before can't be a bad thing especially if it's only once every 90 days or so.

But of course no one does that here. Nearly every post on TV is about members going to a neighboring country and trying to spend the least possible amount of time away from Thailand, even if that makes their re-entry less than guaranteed.

You do realize that some of us have to work for a living and cannot just take a few days off to do some site seeing ?

[konfuzed]

Yes, what would you do if you had a medical emergency and wanted to be admitted to a private hospital? That 20,000 baht would really come in handy. Frankly, I can't believe that anyone would travel around Thailand without at least that amount available from an ATM card of a Thai bank,

How much treatment do you expect in a private hospital for 20k? You'd go through that in the first half hour on x-rays etc. Have a credit card ready....

[csabo]

Some people are suggesting that these immigration officials are corrupt for asking for 200 baht.

You have to show 20,000 baht in cash when entering through this border. Nothing illegal in that request.

If you show 20k you can enter.

If you can't show 20k you can be denied entry. Legally.

So people have a choice. If you don't have, or don't want to carry, 20k then be grateful that these corrupt officials are prepared to help you out.

Is turning a blind eye for 200 baht corruption. Yes. And there lies one issue with corruption. We are happy to be party to it when it works in our favour, but get on our moral high horse when it doesn't, or someone else benefits.

If these immigration officers were demanding 200 baht from those that have 20k in the pocket then I'd say it was a problem. Otherwise it seems to me they are doing people a favour.

It's another stupid pointless rule. 1. It's not a good idea, or necessary, to carry 20k in cash at anytime. 2. How long would 20k last someone if it was all the money they had.

Agreed. I have a NonB and WP and I always return with the required 20K in pocket. For the complainers, 200 B is nothing compared to the alternative, being escorted to a ticket counter and being told to buy a ticket to go home in less then 24 hours. Thailand makes it clear, farangs must cross T's and dot I's so that's what I do. It seems some officials like playing this little game. Reminds me of when I got my DL and showed a copy of one of my documents. The girl at the counter said "get original!" and already dismissed me when I whipped out the original and dropped it on her desk. After a while I got used to this and found it's always better to be prepared.

[Blindside]

As an African I have had to go into the office at Sadao along with fellow Africans and apparently Central Asians (maybe others, but that is my limited experience) since 2013 to show our money. Non-B, Non-O, Non-Ed whatever.....

So not new to us, at first the bus drivers were spotting the cash to people, but then immigration started notating the serial numbers from the bills....

Now it is just a way of extorting money from everyone, except us "undesirables" who ironically have the money on us...

What a joke....

[chondan]

If you cannot pay in cash, you do not need it. Credit cards?????

[elviajero]

The big problem that I have with the argument about carrying 20,000 baht (or the equivalent) is the safety of that money. And indeed the safety of the person that is carrying it.

I cannot envisage many people, even in their home countries where they know the 'lay of the land', carrying in cash the equivalent of 20,000 baht.

At today's exchange that would be:

Euro: 563

USD: 614

GBP: 410

I understand that it is an immigration requirement, but IMHO, a very foolish one to be directed at someone holding a non-immigrant visa along with a valid work permit.

I am just waiting for the first report when someone of dubious intent works it out that there is so much currency 'on the hoof' in relatively small areas. Hoping that it is just my paranoia kicking in......................

That "much currency" ? I'm astonished by these comments. It's about one month salary for Thailand, nothing out of ordinary. Go to the bank and watch Thais handle millions with indifference. Fortunately Thailand and border countries have low robbery rates. There is no major security concern here.

In which alternate reality does Thailand exist where 20k is "about one month salary"?

I think chrisinth's point was not about someone being tempted by 20k, but that if someone knew that all Farangs were coming through with a minimum of 20k in their pockets it's a lot of money, and an easy target. E.g. A van load of 9 Farangs could have a minimum of 180,000k! A nice pay day.

I agree that getting robbed is unlikely and that people shouldn't be concerned, but it does happen, and it could happen so why dangle the carrot.

The OP has a Non "B" and work permit. What possible reason can there be for him to have to show 20k in cash! Especially when, as chrisinth points out, it's far more than Mr Average would normally carry around.

[paz]

In which alternate reality does Thailand exist where 20k is "about one month salary"?

In Thailand of today reality, minimum salary is Bt 9,000, most Thais makes more, foreign teachers start at Bt 20,000. So, pretty much average, not much money.

Not responding to the fantasies of roadblocks for mass robberies. Criminals know where the big money is everyday, yet they don't dare to go for it.

The OP has a Non "B" and work permit. What possible reason can there be for him to have to show 20k in cash! Especially when, as chrisinth points out, it's far more than Mr Average would normally carry around.

That's the point, any border crossing is not a normal occasion. The reason to carry Bt 20,000 is to avoid being victim of corruption and have some immediately available funds for emergency. That is a good thing for any travel.

[NancyL]

Isn't the rule 20,000 baht in cash or "cash equivalent" -- like traveler's checks or the cash in an Thai bank account that can be accessed thru an ATM card?

And to answer another question -- Personally, when I advise people who are concerned about what happens when you have a medical emergency here, I suggest having ready access to at least 100,000 baht in a Thai bank account. Of course, you probably don't want all of that in an ATM card account. Even if you're in a coma, your next-of-kin can make arrangements for payment to be made directly to the hospital for your medical bills.

Credit cards aren't always accepted, esp. from foreign banks and esp. at gov't hospitals.

[paz]

Isn't the rule 20,000 baht in cash or "cash equivalent" -- like traveler's checks or the cash in an Thai bank account that can be accessed thru an ATM card?

No, once again the requirement is Thai Baht or other equivalent currency. Not traveler checks (that have gone virtually out of use nowadays), and not bank accounts.

[jacko45k]

Standing on principle will get you left behind.

Admirable but not expedient.

[IMA_FARANG]

I am here in Penang and there is a posted notice here at the Thai consulate which warns that anyone getting a tourist visa to be sure to have the 20,000 Baht to show when attempting to enter over the border to Thailand from Malaysia to be admitted.

don't know if they actually apply this for entrances to Thailand by air, but they are requiring if you enter overland,

Edited April 8, 2015 by IMA_FARANG

[chrisinth]

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The big problem that I have with the argument about carrying 20,000 baht (or the equivalent) is the safety of that money. And indeed the safety of the person that is carrying it.

I cannot envisage many people, even in their home countries where they know the 'lay of the land', carrying in cash the equivalent of 20,000 baht.

At today's exchange that would be:

Euro: 563

USD: 614

GBP: 410

I understand that it is an immigration requirement, but IMHO, a very foolish one to be directed at someone holding a non-immigrant visa along with a valid work permit.

I am just waiting for the first report when someone of dubious intent works it out that there is so much currency 'on the hoof' in relatively small areas. Hoping that it is just my paranoia kicking in......................

That "much currency" ? I'm astonished by these comments. It's about one month salary for Thailand, nothing out of ordinary. Go to the bank and watch Thais handle millions with indifference. Fortunately Thailand and border countries have low robbery rates. There is no major security concern here.

The points I was making was not so much about the amount in 'worth' value, but IMHO, the requirement to carry this amount of currency in this day and age of 'plastic' and online banking could lead to unnecessary pitfalls to the owner. It is not just for the crossing; unless the person carrying the currency has a bank account, or a safe, they are stuck with the amount.

As a matter of interest, are travelers cheques classed as currency with the immigration?

I would disagree that there are no major security concerns here; if I can think of a scenario where people could be robbed then so can others. Just because it hasn't happened doesn't mean it won't.

[chrisinth]

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Isn't the rule 20,000 baht in cash or "cash equivalent" -- like traveler's checks or the cash in an Thai bank account that can be accessed thru an ATM card?

And to answer another question -- Personally, when I advise people who are concerned about what happens when you have a medical emergency here, I suggest having ready access to at least 100,000 baht in a Thai bank account. Of course, you probably don't want all of that in an ATM card account. Even if you're in a coma, your next-of-kin can make arrangements for payment to be made directly to the hospital for your medical bills.

Credit cards aren't always accepted, esp. from foreign banks and esp. at gov't hospitals.

All well and good Nancy, and I agree strongly with your advice if the person doesn't have insurance. (Even if they do, it is still a good cushion to have)

But the advice of having 100,000 in a Thai bank account isn't really applicable to someone coming into the country on a tourist visa, which has been posted as a requirement to be able to show 20,000 baht (or equivalent) when crossing the border.

In all the years I have been visiting (and living in) Thailand, 29 years, I have never been asked for financial proof on either exempt, tourist, non-o, non-b. Maybe just lucky...................

[attrayant]

Are border control able/willing to do currency conversions? I have a friend from Vietnam coming in the next few weeks and he'll be flashing is dong to the officer if asked to show money.

[nzexpat]

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Are border control able/willing to do currency conversions? I have a friend from Vietnam coming in the next few weeks and he'll be flashing is dong to the officer if asked to show money.

Good luck with that !

The exchange is approx 1Bht per 1000 Dong !

[elviajero]

In which alternate reality does Thailand exist where 20k is "about one month salary"?

In Thailand of today reality, minimum salary is Bt 9,000, most Thais makes more, foreign teachers start at Bt 20,000. So, pretty much average, not much money.

My apologies. I read your post to mean one months salary for a Thai.

[Tomtomtom69]

Most private hospitals in Thailand will accept credit cards, but overseas credit cards have a way of getting blocked, lost or otherwise made worthless and it's a devil of a time getting them reactivated or replaced. Private hospitals will turn away people who don't appear to have the ability to pay for care.

Many public hospitals don't accept credit cards, but will accept ATM cards from Thai banks. Public hospitals are good about treating everyone in an emergency situation, but won't let them leave until they can pay their bill in full. If they're ready for discharge, they'll just push their bed off in a corner, hand them a phone and tell them to call somebody to bring money; they can't leave until they pay the bill. (In truth, "arrangements" can be made to pay the bill over time on contract, but this takes negotiation with the social work department about one's financial situation)

Just recently, a friend had a motorcycle accident in Nakorn Nowhereburi. A couple days in the local amphur hospital and a bill of 5000 baht. No big deal, he gave them his overseas credit card. Nope, they couldn't accept it. In the end, he had to call someone to put money into his girlfriend's Bangkok Bank account and then the girlfriend drove to NN to bail him out of the hospital with her Bangkok Bank ATM card. G/F was not happy about the unplanned trip.

You really do need to have at least two different ways of making large payments available to you at all times in case of medical emergencies. I've just been involved in too many situations where people are in hospital and have money overseas, but aren't able to access it in a time of crisis.

As you said, hospitals here generally treat you first and THEN ask for payment when you are ready to be discharged. Therefore it's ridiculous to suggest one should carry 10000-20000 Baht or more for such "emergencies" like you're expecting them to happen. That's what you should have insurance for. Travel insurance is good enough for most people who don't spend more than a year or so away from home and are still technically classified as residents in their home country. Otherwise there's expat insurance or other cover provided by employers but they tend to be less generous unless you're on a very high end package. In any case, anyone who doesn't have some kind of medical insurance when overseas is an idiot.

All this nonsense about how credit cards might fail is NOT a good excuse to always have a huge sum of money in your pocket. Besides, how do most of us access any money in the first place? Well by withdrawing from credit and debit accounts!

Imagine this: you find yourself coming off a motorcycle and are badly injured. But in the process someone robs you off all the money in your wallet but then you end up in the hospital, which treats you. At the time of being discharged you are able to pay your bill through your insurance or you pay first with your credit card and then claim later (if the amount is not too high). But you never get your money back. If you weren't carrying all that money you wouldn't have lost it in the first place.

Anyway, most of us have medical insurance policies and a sufficient number of ATM and credit cards. But to suggest something as unlikely and ridiculous as needing to carry around thousands of Baht in case someone decides to drive into us and we have to go to hospital as a good reason to carry a lot of cash and possibly set ourselves up for robbery is irresponsible.

This thread was supposed to be about immigration requirements NOT about justifying carrying around large wads of cash.

Besides, all you wise guys, what if someone followed your advice but only had 20000 Baht on them when their hospital bill ended up being 100000 Baht? So how about we all carry around 100000 Baht just in case we have a nearly fatal accident so we can end up paying in cash.

What's all this nonsense about Thai hospitals treating you and then asking to be paid. NOT TRUE except for very minor incidences or if you are a regular patient (and then not for large amounts).

For operations they always require evidence of insurance, or a large cash deposit (20K won't hack it) and many of the overseas travel/medical insurances are not accepted in Thailand or the insurance does not actually cover what you think it does, or the insurance company does not have a Thai speaking local representative and won't pay the hospital directly - you have to pay and claim back what you can.

Even good medical insurance companies quible about the costs of so called "specialists" like anasthetisists! They often have fixed rates for medical services that inevitably differ from the hospital rates.

But having said all that, carrying 20K Baht around for no good reason is totally up to you; its a free world in that respect. Of course, it won't actually buy you much medical treatment and it's also a free world for those who just love farangs who flash cash.

Basically, in Thailand/Malaysia all you need is enough cash to pay for bus/train/taxi/parking/coffee plus any emergency beer costs and an ATM card. If you don't have some kind of ATM card, life in Thailand will be rather fraught, never mind at immigration. Be prepared to spend a lot of time queueing in banks.

I have never experienced it, but I expect that paying 200 is worth it not to spend even one minute more in an immigration queue. Think of it as a tip for the hardworking staff. In Cambodia they will even ask you to help them out as they are so badly paid and 200 is gratefully received.

I agree with you for the most part except for your opening line. Of course a Thai hospital is going to treat you first and THEN ask for payment. Besides, how much would they know to charge you if you're coming in on a stretcher, bleeding profusely? Do you really think they would let you die and therefore try to wrestle your credit card out of your clenched fists?

You're dreaming...I've been treated as an in-patient for kidney stones at a private hospital in Thailand before. I had foreign medical insurance (travel insurance) provided by my home based private medical insurer. For small claims, they usually ask you to pay first and then claim later. For larger claims, they can pay the hospital directly. After almost 3 days and 2 nights in hospital, the bill amounted to 34,000 Baht. Because it was a weekend back home and not a huge claim amount I opted to pay first and then claim later. But when did I pay? At the very end when I was about to be discharged and go home of course!

Overseas medical insurance IS accepted in Thailand unless you have a quack policy - BUT generally speaking you have to ensure what's valid and what isn't at the time you purchase your policy. Also, most decent policies allow them to pay the hospital directly or allow you to leave without payment IF they provide a guarantee of payment. Been there, done that.

I have never heard of a hospital refusing to admit a patient when they first come in, especially not a white westerner, since white westerners are always considered to rich in Thailand anyway. It may happen in some other countries, but NOT in Thailand.

Not only that, but have you heard of the 30 Baht healthcare policy? Or just being registered with your local hospital? If so, you hardly need a lot of money to be covered in the event of an accident. Many westerners are still covered by this policy, even though there was a change in policy effective June, 2014.

Getting back to the real purpose of this thread, which has nothing to do with the medical system but rather, immigration requirements on presenting funds at the border:

I agree fully with your last comment. I don't like corruption either, but it's the way it is in this country. Getting on your high horse and justifying the expense and trouble to avoid paying just 200 Baht (probably it could be less if you bargain - I'd say 100 Baht is enough) you can get through if you just pay a little rather than having to withdraw a large amount of cash, where, if you withdraw it from your foreign account would be much more than just 200 Baht in fees and charges alone.

I personally almost never carry 20000 or even 10000 Baht in cash. Nearly everything that costs a lot of money can be paid for by debit/credit card in Thailand: hotels, fuel, shopping, airline tickets and as we have already established most hospitals (especially private ones) etc. So why would anyone carry so much cash?

I've noticed at some border crossings in the region locals put a small bill inside their passports to get them stamped. For example, Vietnamese citizens getting their passports stamped by Vietnam immigration at both Lao and Cambodian border crossings. The usual amounts vary from 10000 to as much as 50000 Dong. Every single one of them was doing this when I passed through and this was a busload of Vietnamese tourists/workers.

At the Lao border coming from Thailand at Chong Mek/Vang Tao, Lao immigration wanted like 5000 Kip from my Vietnamese friend.

So it's not just Thai immigration that does this.

[Tomtomtom69]

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Are border control able/willing to do currency conversions? I have a friend from Vietnam coming in the next few weeks and he'll be flashing is dong to the officer if asked to show money.

Good luck with that !

The exchange is approx 1Bht per 1000 Dong !

Nope, it's more like 630 or somewhere around that. If it were 1000 that would indicate a horrible exchange rate.

[nzexpat]

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Are border control able/willing to do currency conversions? I have a friend from Vietnam coming in the next few weeks and he'll be flashing is dong to the officer if asked to show money.

Good luck with that !

The exchange is approx 1Bht per 1000 Dong !

Nope, it's more like 630 or somewhere around that. If it were 1000 that would indicate a horrible exchange rate.

VND Vietnam (:1000) 1.13Bht

Taken from the Bangkok Bank FX website just a moment ago !

Edited April 8, 2015 by nzexpat

[elviajero]

The OP has a Non "B" and work permit. What possible reason can there be for him to have to show 20k in cash! Especially when, as chrisinth points out, it's far more than Mr Average would normally carry around.

That's the point, any border crossing is not a normal occasion. The reason to carry Bt 20,000 is to avoid being victim of corruption and have some immediately available funds for emergency. That is a good thing for any travel.

I thought the point of showing this cash is to prove you can support yourself whilst in Thailand. It's fair enough to ask that from a tourist, but my point was specifically a person with a Non "B" and work permit. Surely the fact that they have a work permit and are working is proof enough. They have to earn 50k pm to get the work permit!

I don't agree that someone that lives and works in the country needs to carry around 20k in cash even when crossing a border. I doubt that I've ever got more than 5k on me at anytime, but I've got debit, credit cards and a phone. Emergency sorted!

[MiKT]

I have never experienced it, but I expect that paying 200 is worth it not to spend even one minute more in an immigration queue. Think of it as a tip for the hardworking staff. In Cambodia they will even ask you to help them out as they are so badly paid and 200 is gratefully received.

A 'tip' ? You are not doing the math. When they scam or bribe, say 100 ppl out of $6 each that is $600 a day (or shift) to be split perhaps between 3 or 4 guys. Think before you give.

Well I expect it gets spread a little wider than 3/4 guys.

But I must admit, when I have had to wait 2 hours in the sun in the queue of backpackers at the Cambodia border crossing to get back into Thailand (on the days when they decided they were not doing a "VIP" service on the Thai side - the Cambodians are always more practical) I don't "think". My brain shuts down; and since I willingly pay the 1000 Baht "tip" necessary to get the VIP treatment and get into and out of Cambodia in less than 1/2 hr I don't much care who profits (it's spread on both sides of the border) me standing for an hour in a queue to get out, 2/3 hours in Cambodia and 2 hours to get back will not change the system and sorry to say that 35 or so years in the Far East have immunised me to worrying about this kind of stuff.

Yes, big oaks, etc but you have to be realistic to live here. Not that I ever take bribes............ probably because nobody ever tries to bribe me, 555, sigh, MPR.

If they had a "legal" fast queue I would happily pay to be quicker through immigration. Just another cad old boy, just another cad, well suited to HK.

[elviajero]

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Are border control able/willing to do currency conversions? I have a friend from Vietnam coming in the next few weeks and he'll be flashing is dong to the officer if asked to show money.

Good luck with that !

The exchange is approx 1Bht per 1000 Dong !

Nope, it's more like 630 or somewhere around that. If it were 1000 that would indicate a horrible exchange rate.

VND Vietnam (:1000) 1.13Bht

Taken from the Bangkok Bank FX website just a moment ago !

You're ruining a perfectly good joke

[paz]

It's fair enough to ask that from a tourist, but my point was specifically a person with a Non "B" and work permit. Surely the fact that they have a work permit and are working is proof enough. They have to earn 50k pm to get the work permit!

Well, no. There is no minimum salary for a work permit. but there is for an extension of stay ( teachers excluded). In fact, non-teachers earning less than 50K, have to stay on multiple entry visa doing border runs every 90 days.

Other than that, if people is unable to envision a situation in SE Asia where their trusted plastic won't help, sorry I can't help neither.

[elviajero]

Well, no. There is no minimum salary for a work permit. but there is for an extension of stay ( teachers excluded). In fact, non-teachers earning less than 50K, have to stay on multiple entry visa doing border runs every 90 days.

Ok. That's interesting. You learn something everyday!

So if someone employed by a UK company got a 3 year Non "B" from the London Embassy they could be issued with a work permit via the Thai company that the UK employ to manufacture their product, and the Thai company wouldn't have to pay the person any salary?

I assume the Thai company would have to pay the social fund contributions even if no salary is paid?

Edited April 8, 2015 by elviajero

[paz]

So if someone employed by a UK company got a 3 year Non "B" from the London Embassy they could be issued with a work permit via the Thai company that the UK employ to manufacture their product, and the Thai company wouldn't have to pay the person any salary?

I assume the Thai company would have to pay the social fund contributions even if no salary is paid?

First of all, non-imm 'B' visa for 3 years are never issued nowadays. They exist on the consulate and MfA websites only.

Let's say initally he issued a 1 year 'B' visa, if he intends to work in Thailand, meaning he has a continued active role not just occasional business visits, he will have to become an employee of the Thai company (that implies retribution), can apply for a work permit, subject to all restrictions but without a minimum salary. Will have to pay taxes on that,

Edited April 8, 2015 by paz

[elviajero]

So if someone employed by a UK company got a 3 year Non "B" from the London Embassy they could be issued with a work permit via the Thai company that the UK employ to manufacture their product, and the Thai company wouldn't have to pay the person any salary?

I assume the Thai company would have to pay the social fund contributions even if no salary is paid?

First of all, non-imm 'B' visa for 3 years are never issued nowadays. They exist on the consulate and MfA websites only.

Let's say initally he issued a 1 year 'B' visa, if he intends to work in Thailand, meaning he has a continued active role not just occasional business visits, he will have to become an employee of the Thai company (that implies retribution), can apply for a work permit, subject to all restrictions but without a minimum salary. Will have to pay taxes on that,

The London Embassy website has a 3 year "B". http://thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/50

But regardless he could get a multi 1 year "B", be paid a nominal salary (9,000 THB) as an employee of the Thai company, and all is good as long as he exists within 90 days of each entry?

[paz]

The London Embassy website has a 3 year "B". http://thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/50

Yes. What I was trying to explain is that even if mentioned on the website, it is never issued.

But regardless he could get a multi 1 year "B", be paid a nominal salary (9,000 THB) as an employee of the Thai company, and all is good as long as he exists within 90 days of each entry?

To be honest, I think that a work permit application filed with a minimum salary contract would make it objectionable. But once the work permit is issued, there is no obligation to obtain an extension of stay. One can stay with the multi-entry visa, leaving every 90 days.